Here are the Facebook execs who insiders think might leave next

Facebook has had a wave of executives leave the company in the past year.

With the company under pressure, there are likely to be more ousters, defections, and departures.

These are some of the top execs to keep an eye on, according to company insiders.

Facebook's brutal 2018 was accompanied by a wave of executive departures.

As the Silicon Valley tech giant grappled with the Cambridge Analytica scandal and its role spreading hate speech that fueled genocide in Myanmar, several longtime senior leaders at the company headed for the exit.

Instagram cofounders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, vice president of partnerships Dan Rose, WhatsApp cofounder Jan Koum, and policy and communications boss Elliot Schrage are just some of the execs that have announced their departures over the last year.

As the new year kicks off, Facebook's turbulence shows no signs of abating, so Business Insider asked current and former employees a question: Who might be next to go?

Flight risk is an important issue at tech companies like Facebook whose fortunes can hinge on the talent of product visionaries and engineers, and the degree to which Facebook can retain its top talent will influence its ability to navigate its current crisis.

To be clear, this is informed speculation and guesswork: The sources we surveyed don't have inside knowledge of any confirmed but unannounced coming departures. But with Facebook under pressure to get its house in order, and with some executives no doubt scanning the horizon for less turbulent jobs, the names listed provide a guide to some of the company's leaders who insiders are watching attentively.

After being provided with the list of names, Facebook spokesperson Anthony Harrison provided the following statement: "This story is based on complete speculation. None of the people you mentioned to us are planning to leave Facebook."

1/

Justin Osofsky, vice president of global operations, program management, and integrations.

Renard Garr/Getty Images

Justin Osofsky, Facebook's vice president of global operations, was singled out most by the sources we spoke to.

He has been at Facebook for more than a decade and is a key lieutenant of Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, who has come under scrutiny in recent months.

His operational role places him at the center of many woes and could potentially make him a scapegoat. "[He's] a really strong leader, but as far as places to shift blame, I think he would be next in line," one source said.

Osofsky's activities made headlines in December 2018 when the British Parliament released a cache of internal Facebook emails and documents it had seized. The leaked correspondence laid bare the company leadership's cutthroat attitudes towards competition and growth — and some of Osofsky's emails were included.

2/

Joel Kaplan, vice president of global public policy.

Aurelien Morissard/IP3/Getty Images

Apart from CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Sandberg, few Facebook execs attracted more ire in 2018 than Joel Kaplan, the company's vice president of global public policy.

Kaplan was spotted seated behind Brett Kavanaugh during the judge's acrimonious Supreme Court confirmation hearings, and when it emerged that he was there in support of Kavanaugh, a close friend, many Facebook employees exploded in outrage.

A current employee suggested he could be next to go, citing his unpopularity with some at the company.

3/

Dan Levy, vice president of small business.

Dan Levy/LinkedIn

Dan Levy, Facebook's vice president of small business, is an attractive target for potential recruiters.

"In terms of the best people at Facebook that's still there, you can't ignore Dan Levy, who is the one person that's responsible for Facebook's growth in the past three years," one source said.

Levy has been at Facebook since December 2008, working as a director on payments, risk, and finance before taking on the small-business role in July 2012.

4/

Ellen Silver, vice president of operations.

Ellen Silver/LinkedIn

One area of intense scrutiny for Facebook over the last year has been content moderation, particularly in Myanmar and Libya, and that makes Ellen Silver one to watch.

She's vice president of operations, and in that role she oversees the company's content-moderation efforts.

Silver has been with Facebook since August of 2009. Prior to that, she worked at eBay.

5/

Nick Grudin, vice president of media partnerships.

Nick Grudin/LinkedIn

In his role as vice president of media partnerships, Nick Grudin oversees Facebook's partnerships with news organizations and other media companies.

Facebook decimated their traffic in January 2018 with an algorithm tweak to promote "meaningful engagement," starting the year off badly with regard to relationships between the company and news organizations, and the drumbeat of scandals means things haven't improved since.

6/

Outgoing general counsel Colin Stretch's legal team.

AP

The departure of senior leaders raises the possibility of further departures beneath them.

Such is the case with Colin Stretch, Facebook's general counsel who announced his departure earlier this year but is now staying on into 2019.

The same applies again: With Schrage heading out, there might be some reshuffling beneath him, a former employee suggested. (One of his direct reports already left in 2018: Rachel Whetstone, vice president of corporate communications, joined Netflix as its new communications boss.)

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